[cover story] profiled categorically stated that downsizing wasn’t required as a result of the downturn – perhaps the best indicator that things While Hong Kong firms are striving to push forward are not as gloomy as they seem. Many, in fact, are welcoming creative ideas, they are also practising more sustainable the slowdown as a chance for them to catch their breath, work design. For many, green is no longer an option – it is on streamlining things internally, or simply to take stock and the only way to design. This, coming from a city known see where they want to go next. for its rampant mass consumption, speaks volumes for the city’s designers. During the last two years, the work was more than average. Now we “When we started 10 years ago, we were focussed mainly on There is no instant fame and are back to normal. private residences,” recalls Ed Ng of AB Concept. “Since then, fortune in architecture. It is not It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. Hannah Lee, Team HC we have moved on to hospitality projects. Today, more than Andy Warhol. Anderson Lee, Index Architecture 80 percent of the work that we do is on five-star properties for Though Dickens published that line exactly 150 years ago, it could not international operators in different countries. We have moved be more appropriate today. What was originally thought to be only a Size is one of the most obvious indicators of success. Size matters – into new markets to further diversify our studio, and are now “We have created a workshop to experiment with US mortgage crisis a year ago has deepened into a global economic it reassures clients that a firm has sufficient manpower to handle providing architectural design services.” designs,” explains Hannah Lee of Team HC. “We recession – or depression, depending on whom you talk to. Flashy real large projects; it means a firm is solvent enough to afford additional have a more refined approach when we design and estate ventures in Dubai and, closer to home, Macau, have crashed and salaries, and it shows that a firm has been expanding as a result of execute projects. We are looking into solar energy, burned, taking down bankers, developers, designers and tradespeople an ever-increasing workload. While Steve Leung stands out as one We have matured and wised up. William Lim, CL3 more organic usage of materials in their raw state, and in their wake. Hong Kong has had its share of woes, with runs on of the largest at 270-strong, many Hong Kong companies hover environment-friendly and recycled materials when we banks and the Lehman Brothers mini-bonds collapse not so distant at 10 to 30 people on staff. Some make a conscious attempt at select finishes.” memories. Yet, local interior designers and architects, usually the first keeping their office under 10 people, to retain a studio-like, hands- “It’s status quo for us,” says William Lim of CL3. “We are group of professionals to be affected during economic downturns, are on environment. Keeping a leaner, meaner team also allows firms staying focussed. It is a good time to strengthen up our “We believe as a designer our role is to create a living resiliently optimistic. Firms small and large are not only surviving, to ride out economic waves that tend to do more obvious damage setup i ternally, which when the market was strong, we had environment, and sustainability is essential,” says but are doing interesting, challenging projects. Here in China and to larger practices. no time for.” Joey Ho of Joey Ho Design. “We are collecting new further abroad, there are still clients willing to take risks with Hong knowledge and, in return, we will educate our clients Kong talent. Which is the reality: the Hong Kong of doom and gloom “We have enough work to sustain the office,” says Anderson Lee of “The way we do things now is different,” notes Virginia and persuade them to adopt those new applications.” splashed over nightly newscasts, or the Hong Kong where creativity Index Architecture. “Clients are beginning to realise that we don’t Lung of One Plus Partnership. “We toast each new year by flourishes and things are actually pretty good? Is this really a tale of do cookie-cutter design. We have become more focussed. But there examining our goals for that year. We did a lot of showflats “Right now, we are using local materials as much as we two cities? have been no major changes for us, no major shifts in architectural at first but we like doing different types of projects. We are can, instead of having things flown in or shipped from thinking. We are still small but we have grown from just me and an now doing clubhouses and theatres – there is more variety. overseas,” says Chang. “There are so many low-tech assistant to seven people.” Each time, we try to incorporate different cultural elements ways to respond to environmental issues. For example, into the design. Yes, we are affected by the downturn; some just in the way one sites a house, provides adequate While China has slowed down for Shirley Chang of Chang Bene agrees that size is not an indicator of projects have been put on hold, for example. While 80 sun shading and natural ventilation. It is amazing how us, Hong Kong has picked up. good work. “We can survive during downtimes because our office is percent of our work used to be in China, it is now down to much air-conditioning cost can be saved when these kept small and we just need a couple of interesting projects at any 40 percent. But at the same time, our work in Hong Kong Virginia Lung, One Plus Partnership simple ideas are taken into consideration.” given time,” she explains. “Clients from firms big and small come has risen from 20 percent to 60 percent.” to us and they have no concern whatsoever about how many people Indeed, it seems that when the going gets tough, we have on staff – they just care about what we can do and whether the hard-working firms in Hong Kong are digging we can deliver.” in their heels and finding opportunities within It has been proven that consistent high quality these challenging times. Judging by their recently work is the best strategy during crisis We see this as an opportunity to equip Indeed, as this year’s Pritzker Prize winner Peter Zumthor completed projects, the homegrown design heroes of Ed Ng, AB Concept ourselves for the coming challenges. demonstrates, small studios have the advantage of being able to this city are steaming full speed ahead. Take a look Joey Ho, Joey Ho Design do niche work. If they do it well, they don’t need to be bothered by and judge for yourselves. the necessary yet mind-numbing bread-and-butter jobs that most of their competitors have to churn out. And all the firms that we hinge 169_48 SLOWLY by Photography by Graham Uden and Ray Lau Joeyda Ho Design dolce Langham Place is a vertical retail shopping mall that reflects the buzz of Mongkok, with a bevy of trendy shops catering to a teen and young adult market. In keeping with its target audience, Italian gelato brand da dolce decided to open its first Hong Kong shop on the Basement 2 level, with interiors courtesy of Joey Ho Design. Set within an atrium space punctured by crisscrossing escalators, it draws curious shoppers from the floors above who wonder just what’s going on down there. Even the escalators leading to SLOWLY are branded to be in keeping with the rest of the space, and feature colourfully whimsical graphics that allude to the retro-contemporary café. SLOWLY by da dolce is much more than a gelato bar. Naturally, the dozens of gelato flavours housed along a gently curving row of transparent freezers puts the sweet treat at centre stage. Yet it also offers a café, which dishes up pastas and savoury snacks, a Basheer bookshop and its own radio station dubbed Dada, with retro sets and speakers on every table. Feature walls and table lamps share the same funky graphics that adorn the escalators, and hint at a Japanese anime influence. They offset the white background and curvilinear edges on the custom furnishings. Open and fluid within a retail setting, SLOWLY allows customers to meander in and out seamlessly while shopping or after a movie Company Name: Joey Ho Design Ltd to browse the latest issue of, dare we say, hinge, while enjoying a bite. Ho deliberately plays up simple geometric shapes and a clean Director: Joey Ho background to provide a platform for tasting life – in a leisurely Date established: 2005 manner, of course. Total number of staff: 15 Contact details: Room 1601-1602, Car Po Commercial Building,18-20 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2850 8732, www.joeyhodesign.com Notable projects: Lifestyle Library, Singapore; Living Pod residence, Hong Kong, Thousand Island Lake Golf Club, Hangzhou Projects in the pipeline: private house in Singapore (his first architectural design project), clubhouse in mainland China, sales gallery in Hangzhou Most recent honour: Best 100 in JCD Awards 2008, Japan, for Open Design hero: Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group Inspiration: “Information + interaction = inspiration” Worst thing about practising in Hong Kong: “Rich people with bad taste” Around your office: “We don’t allow shoes inside, only slippers or bare feet” hinge 169_50 hinge 169_51 IndexHa Residence Architecture Photography by Francis Chen Situated in The Giverny, Sai Kung, this long and narrow townhouse is the home of a family of five: a couple, their daughter and twin sons.